This blog takes comes from an interview we did with Danielle Kirk about her Plastic Free July challenge in 2013.

1. What form of challenge did you do for Plastic Free July?I’ve been conscious for some time of how much plastic I use in my daily life so I decided to cut out all single-use plastics, including: plastic cutlery, cups and plates; styrofoam cups and plates; disposable coffee cups and their lids; straws; disposable plastic packaging (for example, choosing loose fruit, veg and nuts rather than the packaged kinds and, if I bought processed foods, opting for those in cardboard or paper packets); plastic bags; plastic bottles. I pretty much avoided all of your “top four” plastic items — and then some. After all, Plastic Free July is a challenge! I did not, however, have a 100 per cent success rate … but I definitely cleaned up some of my habits. I’ve also been much better at avoiding plastics since July, which is important.2. Tell us one important change you made.Well, I go through phases where I get a takeaway coffee a day and, even though I generally bring my own travel mug, I used to forget. And still get a takeaway coffee. During Plastic Free July, I took to keeping my travel mug in my handbag and was actually given a second one — woohoo! — so I kept that in my gym bag. This way, I had a mug on hand when I decided to get a coffee. It’s such an incredibly simple thing to do but it really helped to nix the coffee cups. I did the same thing with my reusable shopping bag and that helped me avoid plastic bags.3. What was the hardest plastic to avoid?Packaging, without a doubt. I don’t buy much processed food but even “wholefoods”, like nuts, often come in plastic bags. It’s pretty crazy how much plastic packaging is out there. There’s a little sushi shop near where I work and each and every sushi roll is wrapped in plastic — so much waste! That’s why it’s great to have groups like you guys doing awareness-raising events like this — we all need to start thinking about how to cut down on our resource consumption.4. How did other people react to you going plastic-free?They thought it was awesome! At the same time, though, most people said things like, “Wow, I could never give up using plastic – it’s everywhere! I’d forget!” And so I did a fair bit of talking during the month, just trying to spread some awareness about how much plastic we use in our daily lives and how easy it is to give it up. It’s just about making conscious choices, after all.

I always wanted to do a year of ‘Compacting’ (buy nothing new for a year) …but that’s exactly what happened, I always ’wanted’, but never did. So when Plastic Free July came along I thought: “Brilliant, that’s going to be a breeze. After all, I am one of the Founders of the Two Hands Project. I got my reusables sorted!

Well… this is my dilemma bag last year and I only did one week...

What stood out was clearly that I didn’t have all my reusables sorted! And those tetra packs from the Soymilk! – I knew there would be heaps over the year. Also the contact lens packaging made me sad, as I can’t seem to come up with a solution (glasses are sadly not an option for me) All the other bits were clearly avoidable quite easily.

Back to the Soymilk –TETRA packs: easily solved!! Ever seen a ‘soymilk maker’? I am HOOKED! And the tiny amount of ( organic Soybeans needed! – what a saving every time you make soymilk! I AM IN LOVE with this MACHINE! Pictured is the actual amount of soybeans needed for 1 litre! (bottle isn’t full because I had my coffee already)

So why the title? – Well girls, if you are doing this challenge for a month… you might be stuck with some questions that you aren't sure who to ask… fret no more: Mooncup. It’s silicon. Once done for the month you sterilise it by boiling it a few minutes. It’s yours for life. Best thing ever. Yes, it takes a week to get used to and trust it, but that was no different when you tried your first tampon. And with the MoonCUP it just ‘catches’ rather then absorbing. So it is much better for your natural balance… no more thrush.

For those that are not convinced, on average one woman will use over 11,000 tampons or pads in their lifetime, of course all single use, which will end up in landfill or in the sea.

Whilst we are with the Girls themes… How to organise a plastic free HENS send off?? I ‘highly’ (pardon the pun) recommend to send her off with style: “ High Tea” ( this one at Sydney’s famous Queen Victoria Building) …came with sparkling wine… that’s plastic free too.

So on the day after Hens and all that sparkling you maybe craving some COFFEE…but PLEASE, don’t buy into those coffee pods! For me they were just silly, expensive, wasteful and I didn’t even like the coffee!! And then I visited Paul who was helping at the Fremantle waste audit and that’s when I realised that they are a much bigger issue: there isn’t anywhere to put them: metal or compost?? So unnecessary.

About the author:Silke Stuckenbrock, is the co-Founder of the Two Hands Project Inc.; an organisation that encourages people to take 30 minutes to use their two hands to clean up any place any time.